Ethiopia and China have agreed to broaden military cooperation, with a focus on defense-industrial development, technology transfer, and training.
Ethiopian Defense Minister Mohamed Idris and Chinese Ambassador Chen Hai signaled an intention to take the countries’ defense relationship to a higher level during a meeting in Addis Ababa on November 3, according to the state-run Ethiopian News Agency.
Idris said Ethiopia wants to preserve its “historic military partnership” with China while exploring new areas of collaboration, and also framed Ethiopia’s security efforts as part of a wider contribution to regional and international peace and stability.
In turn, Ambassador Chen said that Beijing is prepared to deepen military and strategic ties and to expand cooperation in the defense industry, citing gains already made through investment and bilateral engagement.
The priorities discussed also included building Ethiopia’s defense industry, transferring technology, and expanding capacity-building through military training opportunities.
In October 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, during a meeting in Beijing, announced that their relationship would become an “all-weather strategic partnership”. The countries also signed agreements covering agriculture, health, digital economy, green development, and urban infrastructure.
In a joint statement, the two governments pledged mutual support for sovereignty and territorial integrity and agreed to deepen cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. They also said they would work to strengthen security cooperation and build capacity to address security concerns in the Horn of Africa.
